Golf club with pivotal,leg engaging crossbar



G- L. PICOTTE 3,514,106

GOLF CLUB WITH PIVOTAL, LEG ENGAGING CROSSBAR May 26, 1970 Filed April 1, 1968 FIG.3

INVENTOR.

GORDON L. P|COTTE ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,514,106 GOLF CLUB WITH PIVOTAL, LEG ENGAGING CROSSBAR Gordon L. Picotte, 4677 Lee Ave., La Mesa, Calif. 92041 Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,641 Int. Cl. A63b 53/14 US. Cl. 27381.3 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf club that is swung between the legs, having a dual purpose club head for use in putting and chipping the golf ball and a crossbar member connected to shaft. The crossbar member is grasped and rotated by the golfer to swing the club and outer ends of the cross-bar member rest against the golfers legs to stabilize movement of the club during the swing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the most important aspects of playing the game of golf is to achieve proficiency in chipping or pitching the golf ball onto the green and then putting the ball into the cup with the least amount of strokes. Normally a golf club with a high loft club head face, such as a No. 5 or No. 6 golf club, is used for chipping or pitching the ball onto the green. A flat faced putter is then used to stroke the ball from the position on the green into the cup. To effectively use these clubs, the golfer must practice often and develop considerable skill because the distance the ball moves and the direction of the movement must be critically controlled to move the ball from a location off the green into the cup with a minimum number of strokes. Consequently, the greatest tensions are experienced by a golfer when trying to move the ball from a location off the green into the cup.

While the golfers who play often or are expert players can effectively use the chipping or pitching clubs and putters that are known in the art, other persons who do not play often or are not expert golfers have great difficulty in using these clubs. Inability to effectively use such clubs often dissuades golfers from playing the game or enjoying the game of golf.

Therefore it is advantageous to provide the golfing public with a dual purpose head golf club that enables skilled and unskilled golfers to achieve greater and consistant control of the club head engagement with the ball. This is accomplished by fully utilizing the pendulum principle to achieve increased and consistant control of the distance the ball travels by utilizing sensitive hand and wrist control of a stable, crossbar, horizontal handle. This also controls the club head impact exerted against the ball and controls the arc distance of travel of a free falling club head to achieve the desired impact force. Thus it is possible for unskilled golfers or golfers who are not able to play often to become proficient in chipping or pitching the ball onto the green and putting the ball into the cup with reduced tension and thus be able to enjoy the play of the game to a greater extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of my invention comprises a golf club that is swung in a position between the legs of the golfer and has a crossbar that rests against the golfers legs, stabilizing the club during the swing. The crossbar is grasped by the golfer at positions between the legs to swing the club. The golf club has a dual purpose head with a vertical face on one side to be used as a putter and an angled surface on an opposite side to be used as a pitching or chipping club. The shaft of the club is vertically ice extendable so that the height of the crossbar relative to the golfers hands and legs may be adjusted to obtain optimum control of the golf club. A pair of swiveling pad members are positioned on the ends of the crossbar for fitting against the golfers legs. A handle portion on the crossbar extends between the swiveling pads and provides the hand gripping surface.

In operative position, the golf club is placed between the users legs with the golf shaft resting in a substantially vertical position and with the crossbar pads resting against the front of the upper portion of the golfers legs. The crossbar is then grasped by a hand on each side of the shaft and is rotated to swing the golf club in a pendulum motion, thereby stroking or striking the golf ball in a controlled movement to accurately direct the golf ball into the cup on the green. The club thus achieves good control of the ball as to distance and accuracy in addition to utilizing the natural position for employing direct line-ofsight alignment in setting up the direction of ball travel to the cup on the green.

Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved dual purpose head golf club.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that provides greater control of ball travel.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that reduces or dampens vibrations in the golf club produced by impact of the golf club head with the ball and that minimizes contact of the golf club head with the turf.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that may be used for pitching or putting the golf ball.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that utilizes pendulum movement of the golf club and that employs direct line-of-sight movement of the golf club head.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that provides a stabilized and controlled movement of the golf club head in alignment with the direction the golfer is facing.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that provides greater control of the distance the ball travels by better utilization of sensitive hand and wrist control of the golf club.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved golf club that may be collapsed into a longitudinal structure for being carried in a golf bag.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed specification and an examination of the drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view with parts broken away and parts illustrated in phantom of an embodiment of the golf club of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the golf club of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a modified crossbar structure for use in the embodiment of the golf club of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the crossbar structure of the golf club with the ends of the crossbar being retained in upward pivoting position.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the golf club head of this invention.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the use of an embodiment of the golf club of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the golf club comprises a shaft, a golf club head and a crossbar member.

The club head 20 has a substantially block shape with a putter face 72 parallel with the supporting shaft 14 and an opposite angled surface 70 that is used for chipping or pitching the golf ball. The angle of the surface 70 is approximately 30 degrees. This angle has been found to be most advantageous in achieving the desired lofting of the ball during correct pitching or chipping of the ball from points immediately adjacent the green. The golf club head 20 may be made of any suitable material such as steel, lead, aluminum or other suitable materials, compositions or alloys. The ball impacting surfaces 70 and 72 may be roughed or grooved as desired to aid in control of the ball.

The lower edge 66 of the angled side 70 projects below the bottom edge 68 of surface 72, giving the lower surface of the head 20 an angle of, for example, 5 degrees. This angled surface allows the club head 20 to strike the ball in the pitching and chipping function without causing the entire underneath surface of the club head to be driven into the turf and thus retard the pendulum movement of the club head. Also the sides 64 of the golf club head 20 are angled inwardly in the downward direction to further reduce the lower surface of the golf club head 20' and the friction that occurs between the golf club head and the turf. This increases consistency of golf club head movement over varying turfs. The size and shape of the club head 20* allows the club head to be weighted by employing lead or the like, to provide a true stabilized and predictable pendulum movement of the golf club head and to reduce vibration in the shaft and crossbar that can occur when striking the golf ball.

The lower end of rod shaft 14 is secured to the top of the club head 20 by any known and suitable connection, such as being fixed in a vertical hole in the top of the club head, which hole is centrally located in surface 62 between the faces 70 and 72 and the sides 64. A tubular sleeve shaft 12 slidably receives the rod shaft 14 for telescoping movement therebetween. The lower end of the sleeve shaft 12 has a collar 16 with a set screw passing therethrough that contacts the rod shaft 14 fixing the rod shafts position relative to the sleeve shaft 12. It is to be noted that the rod shaft 14, see FIG. 2, while having a substantially circular cross section, has a flat front surface that is in alignment with the crossbar. The end of the set screw 18 bears against this flat surface and thus holds thet club faces 70 and 72 in parallel alignment with the crossbar.

The crossbar assembly has a hole in its mid-section to slidably receive the sleeve shaft 12. The hole projects through central cylindrical member 44 and has a set screw 74. The sleeve shaft 12 projects through the hole and is held in a given position by set screw 74 having an end 77. Tubular member 12 also has a flat front surface that coacts with the flattened front surface of rod 14 and against which the end 77 of the set screw 74 bears to hold the golf head 20 and crossbar in alignment.

The crossbar as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises the aforementioned center cylindrical member 44 that has on each side slots 45 for receiving pivoting end rods 38. End rods 38 have a substantially rectangular shape that fits into the slots 45 with a lower surface 27 bearing against the lower surface of the slot 45. Pin 39 secured to member 44 provides the pivotal connection for pivoting end rods 38 in a 90 degree pivotal movement within the slot 45. The end rod 38 becomes circular at a point beyond the end of slot 45 and has slidably mounted thereon a sleeve member 82 that has a hollow cylindrical end 46 and a solid end 40. The cylindrical end 46 slides over the outer surface of the cylindrical member 44. The solid portion 40 has an opening 42 passing therethrough and receiving the cylindrical end 34 of the rod 38. The outer end 34 of rod 38 terminates in an enlarged collar 36 and has a collar 30 that is slidably positioned thereon. Secured to the collar 30 is a bar member 32 that provides a base for a concave shaped pad 26 that is formed to fit against the curved front surface of the olfers legs. Collar 30 is freely rotatable and slidable on the cylindrical end of rod 38 and the length of the collar 30 pro vides a stable longitudinal base for the secured pad member 26-. Thus it may be understood that the sleeve member 22 is slidable along the longitudinal length of the crossbar to a position wherein the notch 50 on the upper and lower surface of the sleeve 22 fits against the sleeve shaft 12. When in the outward extended position, the inward end 61 of the sleeve 22 passes beyond the end 48 of the cylindrical member 44, thus allowing the end rod 38 to be folded in an upward direction in slot 45 to the retracted position illustrated in FIG. 4. When in the folded position, the end '61 of the sleeve member 40 then presses against the upper surface of the cylindrical member 44, thus aiding in holding the folded crossbar arm member in an upward position. When the sleeve member 22 is in its inward position and notch 50 bears against the side of tubular shaft member 12, then the golf club is in the operative position and collar 30 slides on the end of rod 38 to allow correct positioning of the pad member 26 against the users leg.

It is to be understood that each side or arm of the crossbar member, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, are constructed identically with that previously described structure illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2. When both of the cross bar arm members are pivoted upwardly in the manner previously described, then the spring clip member 76 that is secured to the end of bar member 59 fits over the end of the other 'bar member 32 holding the arm members in the retracted, vertical, folded position that reduces the overall width of the golf club.

In a modified construction, the center portion of the cross bar illustrated in FIG. 3 comprises a substantially solid structure having a solid cylindrical member 82 with an opening '84 in the center thereof for slidably receiving the tubular shaft member 12. Set screw 74 presses end 76 against the flat surface of the tubular shaft 12 holding the cross bar arm member 82 in alignment with the faces of the club head 20'. Outer pad members, sleeves and end stops similar to outer pad members 26 and 28, sleeves 30 and 58 and end stops 36 and 60 are secured to the ends of cylindrical rod members 86 and 88 of FIG. 3. The crossbar member of FIG. 3 has the same function in use but is not foldable.

The sleeve members 22 and 24 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the center solid member 82 of FIG. 3 have ridges along the length thereof for improving hand gripping and reducing hand slippage during usage of the club. Any high friction material, such as rubber or cork, may also be used to cover this outer surface and further improve gripping and reducing hand slippage in using the club.

In operation, the pivoting crossbar arm members as illustrated in FIG. 4 are in the folded position. Sleeves 22 and 24 are lifted sufficiently to pass over the end of the cylindrical member 44 with the aid of notches 51 and 53 and the arms are rotated to the extended position illustrated in FIG. 1. The sleeves 22 and 24 are then moved inwardly locking the crossbar arms in the horizontal position of FIG. 1. The golf club is then moved into operating position with shaft 10 located between the golfers legs and pads 26 and 28 pressed against the front surface of the golfers upper leg. The club shaft is extended to the desired length by adjusting the set screws 18 and 74 until the bottom surface of the club head 20 assumes the correct position relative to the turf. The crossbar is then grasped in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6 with the overhand grip and by rotating the crossbar, the club shaft is moved in a pivotal movement between the legs and in alignment (with a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the crossbar. The club head then contacts the ball moving it toward the cup.

The chipping or pitching surface 70 may be used in lieu of the putting surface 72 by merely reversing the side of the club head that projects forward of the golfer. The

leg pads 26 and 28 being capable of 360 degree movement around the ends of rods 34 and 56 allow the pads 26 and 28 to operate in the same manner.

It may be understood that by gripping and rotating the crossbar with the hands as illustrated in FIG. 6, considerable force can be imparted to the ball through the pendulum swinging action of the club head 20 .m the end of the shaft. This force is suflicient to drive the ball a considerable distance making it possible to pitch or chip the ball to the green from most locations off the green. The path 94 of movement of the ball 92 toward the cup 96 may be sighted through 90 degree alignment of the crossbar. This bearing can be held during the swing of the club through the connection to the legs. Thus the crossbar not only maintains stability in rotational movement of the center portion of the crossbar and the golf club shaft and club head 20, but also it maintains that degree of line-of-sight control that assures correct movement of the ball in its path toward the cup. Still further, is should be observed that the upper portion of the sleeve shaft 12 and rod shaft 14 that project above the upper surface of the crossbar may be appropriately grasped or moved by the fingers such as the thumbs of the hands to rotate the club shaft and club head to a pendulum position where it is then released achieving a pendulum action imparted by gravity that by virtue of the path length applies a given and consistant force to the ball that allows a correct estimate of the distance the ball will move.

Having described my invention, I now claim.

1. A golf club for movement between a golfers legs in striking the golf ball comprising,

a shaft having a club head at one end,

the club head having a ball impacting face,

a cross bar connected to the shaft adjacent the other end of the shaft for being clasped by the golfer in swinging the shaft and club head,

the face of the club head being aligned with the cross bar, and

pads for resting against the upper portion of a golfers legs pivotally connected to each end of the cross bar for 360 degree rotational movement around the longitudinal axis of the cross bar.

2. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 in which the pads being slidable along a portion of the length of the crossbar.

3. A golf club as claimed in claim 2 in which connector means for releasable securing the shaft to a center portion of the crossbar and holding the alignment between the crossbar and the club head faces.

4. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 in which,

opposite end portions of the crossbar being pivotally connected to the center portion for movement in a plane parallel with the shaft, and

the end portions comprising a substantial portion of the length of the crossbar.

5. A golf club as claimed in claim 4 in which,

each end portion of the crossbar having a sleeve slidably positinoned thereon, and

the sleeves being slidable over the center portion and extending over the pivotal connection for holding the end portions in rigid alignment with the center portion in one position and in a folded position in the other slidable position.

6. A golf club as claimed in claim Sin which,

the end portions of the crossbar being pivotal to an upward folded position that is aligned with the handle, and

the ends of the sleeves contacting the upper sides of the crossbar center portion holding the end portions in the upward aligned position.

7. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 in which the pads being shaped to fit against the legs of the golfer.

8. A golf club as claimed in claim 1 in which,

the crossbar being slidable along the length of the handle and being spaced from the end of the handle, and

the handle being telescoped for selective extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 792,631 6/1905 Taylor 273-813 X 2,204,974 6/ 1940 Strasser 273-813 2,325,525 7/1943 Lukenbill 273-813 2,445,718 7/1948 Sternberg et al. 2738l.3

ANTON O. ()ECHSLE, Primary Examiner R. J. APLEY, Assistant Examiner 

